


First Light

by slodwick



Series: Baby Girl [3]
Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Reality, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-03-29
Updated: 2003-03-29
Packaged: 2017-10-19 10:41:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/199943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slodwick/pseuds/slodwick





	First Light

Caroline's favorite time of day was first thing in the morning.

When the sun shone through the window, and the birds started singing in the tree outside, she could hear Daddy get up and lumber down the hall. She'd wait until the shower started running, then she and Moobie would slip out of bed and tip toe across the hall. She moved a little faster in the wintertime, when the wood floors were clammy cold under her toes.

Mama would still be in bed, warm and cozy under the soft green quilt with the pink silk roses. Caroline liked to stroke them, loved the feel of that slickly soft fabric. Sometimes Mama would pretend to still be asleep, but the corners of her lips would curl up and her eyes would crinkle some. Caroline knew a faker when she saw one.

Usually, by the time Daddy got back from the shower, Caroline was tucked under the blanket with Mama. He'd smile and laugh, climbing up from the foot of the bed, grabbing for Caroline's ticklish knees under the quilt. She'd squirm and giggle and duck her head under the blanket, and that's usually when Mama and Daddy would kiss. They didn't think she noticed, but she did. Sometimes she'd stay under the blanket a little while longer than she had to.

Daddy liked to ask Caroline questions while he got ready. He'd shout questions at her from inside their closet, like what's the difference between Guernsey and Jersey cows, and what type of herbs had he helped her plant in their little window box garden, and what were the names of the positions on a baseball team. Daddy always hugged her, and told her how smart she was. She always felt smart, too.

Some mornings, Mama would sing to her while Daddy put on his socks. If she knew the words, Caroline would sing, too. Caroline knew most of Mama's songs. Daddy never sang, but Caroline never stopped asking him. She was convinced he knew the words, too.

Once Daddy was gone, Mama would take Caroline downstairs for breakfast. Sometimes Mama would make eggs and bacon and toast, and it was fun to sit on a stool in the kitchen and eat with Mama. Caroline liked to swing her legs high above the floor, and their new stools spun around easy.

If she was really lucky, Clark would come home for breakfast. He lived somewhere else now, in a dorm, but he could run fast and he could get home quick. If Clark was around, Mama would let Caroline eat cereal with him in the living room, watching cartoons on the sofa. Clark always laughed when she laughed, and they would have races to see who could drink their milk the fastest. She knew Clark let her win, but she didn't mind.

But, after breakfast, the whole day seemed to speed up. There were chores and bills and errands. There wasn't time to just snuggle with Mama and Daddy. Clark was busy, always rushing off to a class or to hang out with Uncle Lex. Caroline loved her Uncle Lex, but he wasn't really snuggly anymore, though he still winked at her and tweaked her nose when no one else was looking. He even kissed her forehead when he thought she was asleep. Lex wasn't too good at spotting fakers.

At night, when Daddy was done yelling at his tractor, and Mama was done messing with the computer, they would all have dinner together. Usually, though, everyone was tired. Daddy still smiled, but he didn't laugh as much.

Caroline could only stay up until nine, when Alexander Stein came on television to do the news. Either Mama or Daddy, or, on rare occasions, both of them, would carry her upstairs and tuck her in. There was invariably a nightly rescue of Moobie from wherever he'd wound up that morning, be it Caroline's toy box, or Mama and Daddy's room.

Every night involved a little reading, too. Currently, Caroline was half way through the Big Book of Golden Stories that Aunt Chloe got her for Christmas. Caroline loved books, and hadn't stopped reading since she learned how. Someday, she wanted to be a writer like Aunt Chloe and Clark. Or maybe a farmer like Daddy. Or a ballerina.

Daddy liked to stay up and see the sports scores, but he and Mama almost always went to bed shortly after Caroline did. Once everyone was in bed, and the house was quiet, Caroline would lay in the dark, staring out the window. She could see the stars when it was clear, and she'd count them until she fell asleep or lost count. It never really took long, though.

She had the morning to look forward to.


End file.
